Pitch perfect!

Thursday, January 9, 2020 - 01:00

She ascends from one high note to another, winning praise from some of the top names from the global music arena and capturing the hearts of all those who witnessed her act on stage. Yenuli Binara, who is of Sri Lankan origin, won the first runner up title from the Junior Category at the i-SiNG World 2019. Dubbed the biggest international singing competition i-SiNG World offers aspiring singers a platform to showcase their talents to the world. The 11-year-old student of Sri Lankan School, Muscat, competed against competitors from around 70 countries at the event which took place in Stockholm, Sweden, from November 10 to 13 last year. The Grand Champion in the Junior Category was Maria Puspita Dewi Sinaga of Indonesia.

“I started my singing when I was around five years. My mother noted singing skills and encouraged me to develop my talent. I took part in competitions organised by the Sri Lankan community in Oman and even won first place in such a competition when I was nine years,” Yenuli traced the roots of how she excelled in singing.

With her awards

Her flair for the art even got her the opportunity to take part in Antar and Alba Opera which was staged at the Royal Opera House Muscat at a tender age. She is also a member of the school Junior Choir. She had gotten distinctions in Rock and Pop vocals for the Trinity College London examinations.

Yenuli loves music of all genres but has a special liking for Rock and Pop music. She got the opportunity to take part in i-SiNG World 2019 after her father got details about the competition from the Internet. She recorded a song, Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I am No Good” onto an MP3 and sent it for the competition.

“I chose that song because I sang it for my exams at Music College. I believe that track goes well with my voice,” she said.

She got an e mail notifying her that she has been selected for the finals. She faced a semi-finals competition before making it to the final nine which included children from countries like Indonesia, New Zealand, Singapore, India etc. Yenuli represented Oman and competed in the six to 16 age group.

“There was stiff competition. We had to sing an English song in the first round at the finals of the event. I chose Rachel Platten’s ‘Fight Song’ for that. We were requested to sing a national hit from our country during the second round. I sang Amr Diab’s ‘Habibi’. That was the most challenging round for me because I had to learn Arabic and learn how to pronounce those words correctly and sing them to the tune live on stage,” she revealed.

Queried if she pinned hopes on winning the title and Yenuli notes that she was quite taken aback by her success.

“I though I had done well but everyone else also sang beautifully. That made me nervous. We were judged for singing as well as for our performance. I also clinched the Best Audience performer medal. They judged that according to the amount of cheers and applause that each contestant received,” she beamed.

Performing at the i-SiNG World finals

“I do not idolize a particular singer. I admire particular techniques used by internationally acclaimed vocalists like Taylor Swift and Rachel Platten to enhance their performance,” she pointed out.

Apart from singing Yenuli is also gifted at Public Speaking. Her speech based on child labour won the second place in the International Speech category at the Oman Gavel Championship of Public Speaking – 2019. 27 gravel clubs competed at the event.

Yenuli’s father, Prashan Rasanjaya, is a civil engineer. Her mother is Dilrukshi Dawage. Her brother, Rithika Bimsilu, is eight-years-old.

Yenuli loves reading during her free time. She is also into acting and had played the lead character in her school’s Inter House Drama Competition, giving life to the beloved character Pinocchio in the musical fantasy drama. She was one of the members of the winning team which took part in the Inter House Debate Competition in 2017.

Though she hasn’t given much thought to her future profession yet, Yenuli says that she wishes to take on a role in which she can serve her country and the world. She also aims to use her talent for music to fuel her passion for social service activities.

“I sang a song in ‘Not Alone’, a programme which funds its proceedings to the Mental Hospital,” Yenuli explained.

She is grateful to her family, her uncle Tharindu who composed the music tracks for the songs she sang, Rakitha, Uditha and Heshan uncles for their guidance, Delicious and Nixon who choreographed her acts, her Classical Music College teachers, Sri Lankan School, Muscat, Principal Nirmala Liyanage, all the staff and parents for supporting her in her journey to success.

“Education is compulsory. You need to give emphasis to your studies but identify your talents too. Strike a balance between both. Approach your goal. Obstacles are there in any journey but use them to strengthen yourself. Follow your heart and your dreams,” she concluded with a smile.